A review and evaluation of study design considerations for omega-3 fatty acid supplementation trials in physically trained participants.

Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC -3 PUFA) supplements, rich in eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid, are increasingly being recommended within athletic institutions. However, the wide range of doses, durations and study designs implemented across trials makes it difficult to provide clear recommendations. The importance of study design characteristics in LC -3 PUFA trials has been detailed in cardiovascular disease research, and these considerations may guide LC -3 PUFA study design in healthy cohorts.

Emergency department care-related causal factors of in-patient deterioration.

Objective The aim of this study was to determine factors related to emergency department (ED) care causing in-patient deterioration. Methods This retrospective cohort study examined in-patient records using the human factors classification framework for patient safety in a regional health service in New South Wales, Australia, between March 2016 and February 2017. Deterioration was defined as either the initiation of a medical emergency team call, cardiac arrest or unplanned admission to the intensive care unit.

The influence of a basic military training diet on whole blood fatty acid profile and the Omega-3 Index of Australian Army recruits.

This study described the whole blood fatty acid profile and Omega-3 Index (O3I) of Australian Army recruits at the commencement and completion of basic military training (BMT). Eighty males (17-34 y, 77.4 ± 13.

DHA-Rich Fish Oil Increases the Omega-3 Index in Healthy Adults and Slows Resting Heart Rate without Altering Cardiac Autonomic Reflex Modulation.

Regular fish consumption, a rich source of long-chain omega-3 (ω-3) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), modifies cardiac electrophysiology. However, human studies investigating fish oil and cardiac electrophysiology have predominantly supplemented therapeutic (high) doses of fish oil (often ω-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) rich sources). This study examined whether non-therapeutic doses of DHA-rich fish oil modulate cardiac electrophysiology at rest and during cardiovascular reflex challenges to the same extent, if at all, in young healthy adults.

Cardiac contractile dysfunction, during and following ischaemia, is attenuated by low-dose dietary fish oil in rats.

Aims: Supplementing animal diets with high-dose fish oil, rich in long chain omega-3 (ω-3) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), enhances cardiac contractile efficiency and attenuates dysfunction, attributable to ischaemia. However, it remains unclear whether smaller doses, equivalent to what is achievable via regular fish consumption in the human diet, offer similar protection.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley (12-15w) rats were fed isoenergetic diets (ad libitum) containing 10% fat by weight (22% energy) for 4-5w.

Heart rate variability during cardiovascular reflex testing: the importance of underlying heart rate.

Objectives: Heart rate variability (HRV) is often measured during clinical and experimental cardiovascular reflex tests (CRT), as a reflection of cardiac autonomic modulation, despite limited characterization of the rapid responses that occur. Therefore, we evaluated the responsiveness of HRV indices in 20 healthy young adults (age, 27 ± 6 y; mass, 76.9 ± 16.

Forearm isometric fatigue-resistance is enhanced in rock climbers compared to power lifters and aerobically-trained athletes.

Background: Rock climbers are characterized by enhanced forearm fatigue resistance. This study compared the forearm isometric force of rock climbers (RC), strength-matched power lifters (PL) and aerobically trained (AT) athletes to determine the contribution of muscle oxygen desaturation during ischemia.

Methods: Aerobically trained athletes (N.

Cardiac Arrhythmia Prevention in Ischemia and Reperfusion by Low-Dose Dietary Fish Oil Supplementation in Rats.

Background: Supplementing animal diets with fish oil increases myocardial omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [ω-3 (n-3) PUFA], lowers heart rate, and prevents malignant cardiac arrhythmias. In contrast to epidemiological reports, results of some human clinical trials and of unphysiologically high doses employed in animal studies call into question the application of dietary ω-3 PUFA for cardioprotection.

Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that low ω-3 PUFA dietary thresholds for myocardial incorporation in rats, equivalent in dose to what humans derive from eating fish, can reduce heart rate and arrhythmia vulnerability.

Docosahexaenoic acid varies in rat skeletal muscle membranes according to fibre type and provision of dietary fish oil.

Background: Dietary fish oil provides polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and is associated with modified oxygen consumption, contractile fatigue and physiological responses to ischaemia or hypoxia in striated muscle. This study systematically investigated the membrane incorporation of fatty acids, with a focus on DHA, into skeletal muscle in relation to functional/metabolic differences and their responsiveness to fish oil doses.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomised to isoenergetic diets (10% fat by weight).

Marine n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke.

Background and Purpose- We hypothesized that total marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), in particular eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the diet and in adipose tissue (biomarkers of long-term intake and endogenous exposure) were inversely associated with the risk of ischemic stroke and its subtypes. Methods- The Diet, Cancer and Health cohort consisted of 57 053 participants aged 50 to 65 years at enrolment. All participants filled in a food frequency questionnaire and had an adipose tissue biopsy taken at baseline.

Substitution of Fish for Red Meat or Poultry and Risk of Ischemic Stroke.

We investigated the risk of ischemic stroke and its subtypes when red meat or poultry was substituted with fish. A total of 57,053 participants aged 50⁻65 years at baseline were included in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study. All participants filled in a food-frequency questionnaire at recruitment.

Telemedicine in remote Australia: The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Medical Chest Program as a marker of remote health.

Introduction: Remote communities across Australia lack the ready access to medical care generally afforded to metropolitan populations. The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) medical chest program provides medical resources to these communities allowing medications to be dispensed in conjunction with a telehealth consulting service. More than 3000 medical chests are located throughout Australia and each year the Queensland RFDS conducts approximately 20 000 telehealth consultations.

'Involve Me and I Learn': Development of an Assessment Program for Research and Critical Analysis.

Evidence-based medical practice is best achieved by developing research understanding in medical practitioners. To this end, medical councils worldwide increasingly recognise the importance of medical schools graduating students with well-developed research skills and research capacity. To meet this need, the principles of programmatic assessment were implemented in designing a research and critical analysis curriculum and assessment program that aimed to enhance the research and critical analysis skills of medical students.

DHA-rich Fish Oil Increases the Omega-3 Index and Lowers the Oxygen Cost of Physiologically Stressful Cycling in Trained Individuals.

Dietary fish oil, providing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) modulates oxygen consumption and fatigue in animal models. However, in humans predominately supplemented with high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), there is no evidence of endurance performance enhancement. Therefore, this study examined if DHA-rich fish oil could improve repeated bouts of physiologically stressful cycling and a subsequent time trial in a state of fatigue.

A Small Cohort Omega-3 PUFA Supplement Study: Implications of Stratifying According to Lipid Membrane Incorporation in Cardiac Surgical Patients.

Background: Epidemiological studies and randomised clinical trials (RCTs) report disparate findings in relation to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) benefit for cardiac patients. With RCTs interpretation is potentially confounded by background n-3 PUFA intake. The goal of this pilot, small cohort, pre-surgical supplementation study was to evaluate postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardiac molecular expression profiles employing two data analysis approaches - by treatment randomisation and by stratification using measured n-3 PUFA.

Dietary fish oil delays hypoxic skeletal muscle fatigue and enhances caffeine-stimulated contractile recovery in the rat in vivo hindlimb.

Oxygen efficiency influences skeletal muscle contractile function during physiological hypoxia. Dietary fish oil, providing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), reduces the oxygen cost of muscle contraction. This study used an autologous perfused rat hindlimb model to examine the effects of a fish oil diet on skeletal muscle fatigue during an acute hypoxic challenge.

Dietary omega-6 fatty acid replacement selectively impairs cardiac functional recovery after ischemia in female (but not male) rats.

A definitive understanding of the role of dietary lipids in determining cardioprotection (or cardiodetriment) has been elusive. Randomized trial findings have been variable and sex specificity of dietary interventions has not been determined. In this investigation the sex-selective cardiac functional effects of three diets enriched by omega-3 or omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) or enriched to an equivalent extent in saturated fatty acid components were examined in rats after an 8-wk treatment period.

Up-Regulation of Mitochondrial Antioxidant Superoxide Dismutase Underpins Persistent Cardiac Nutritional-Preconditioning by Long Chain n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Rat.

Reactive oxygen species paradoxically underpin both ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage and ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) cardioprotection. Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3 PUFA) are highly susceptible to peroxidation, but are paradoxically cardioprotective. This study tested the hypothesis that LCn-3 PUFA cardioprotection is underpinned by peroxidation, upregulating antioxidant activity to reduce I/R-induced lipid oxidation, and the mechanisms of this nutritional preconditioning contrast to mechanisms of IPC.

Muscle fatigue resistance in the rat hindlimb in vivo from low dietary intakes of tuna fish oil that selectively increase phospholipid n-3 docosahexaenoic acid according to muscle fibre type.

Dietary fish oil (FO) modulates muscle O2 consumption and contractile function, predictive of effects on muscle fatigue. High doses unattainable through human diet and muscle stimulation parameters used engender uncertainty in their physiological relevance. We tested the hypothesis that nutritionally relevant FO doses can modulate membrane fatty acid composition and muscle fatigue.

Intrinsic heart rate recovery after dynamic exercise is improved with an increased omega-3 index in healthy males.

Dietary fish consumption contributes to a reduced risk of cardiac mortality. In the present study, the effect of low-dose fish oil (FO) supplementation on heart rate (HR) response to intense exercise and recovery was investigated in physically fit males. The subjects (n 26) were supplemented (double-blind, parallel design) with (2 × 1 g/d) soya bean oil (control) or tuna FO providing the long-chain n-3 PUFA DHA (560 mg) and EPA (140 mg).

Investigating the impact of a research-based integrated curriculum on self-perceived research experiences of medical students in community placements: a pre- and post-test analysis of three student cohorts.

Background: To build research capacity among graduating medical students, the teaching of research and critical analysis was integrated into the University of Wollongong (UoW) new, graduate-entry medical curriculum. This study examined whether the self-perceived research experiences of medical students, and consequent research capability, were influenced by exposure to this innovative research and critical analysis curriculum, which incorporated a 12-month community-based research project, and associated assessment tasks.

Methods: The first three medical students cohorts (N = 221) completed a self-assessment of their research experiences in ten areas of research activity.

Cardiac physiology and clinical efficacy of dietary fish oil clarified through cellular mechanisms of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Reduced cardiac mortality and morbidity have long been observed in association with omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish consumption, without clear physiological explanation. This review seeks to identify mechanisms of action based on evidence: of physiological effects, active components and effective intakes. Fish oil pleiotropic effects reveal actions that are either intrinsic: effects on cardiac function dependent upon membrane incorporation; or extrinsic: indirect cardiac effects through vascular disease.

Long-chain n-3 DHA reduces the extent of skeletal muscle fatigue in the rat in vivo hindlimb model.

Dietary fish oil modifies skeletal muscle membrane fatty acid composition and oxygen efficiency similar to changes in the myocardium. Oxygen efficiency is a key determinant of sustained force in mammalian skeletal muscle. Therefore, in the present study, we tested the effects of a fish-oil diet on skeletal muscle fatigue under the stress of contraction using the rat in vivo autologous perfused hindlimb model.